Skills and Job Descriptions a Social Media Specialist Should Have

The social media specialist is a critical role for any company that wants to lead the industry in this digital age. This specialist is responsible for data analysis across platforms, strategy development, content creation and campaign execution.  

Considering the huge amount of responsibility, one needs to be experienced and competent enough to become a social media specialist. Therefore, this specialist must have a set of skills. 

On the other hand, the company must clearly specify the job description to avoid overlap between social media specialist and social media manager. 

Social Media Specialist: Must-Have Skills

Here are 7 key skills that every social media specialist must have:  

1. Communication 

Social media specialists are responsible for representing the company and engaging with customers. This requires strong communication skills. This skill is needed both in explaining the content ideas with the team and creating the content that successfully delivers the message.         

2. Creativity 

Most social media users tend to engage with interesting content and unfollow brands with repetitive or boring content. Creativity is an essential skill to come up with fresh and engaging ideas on a daily basis to keep audiences engaged and engaged.    

3. Visual 

The visual aesthetic is a must in any type of social media as it defines the presence. Therefore, a social media specialist must be able to conceptualize eye-catching content. 

It is not a must to have advanced Adobe skills, but the specialist must at least have basic design skills and a good eye for design. 

4. Content Curation 

Content curation is an essential social media skill. The specialist needs to know what to share, when to share, and how to share in order to engage the audience at the right time.    

5. Analytical 

There are many analytical tools that can help provide detailed data in graphs and/or charts about social media performance. However, a social media professional needs to understand what those graphs and charts mean in order to develop content and make it better day by day. 

6. Time Management 

Every day is a busy day for this role. Therefore, it is important to have weekly and even daily to-do lists to stay organized. This will help the specialists manage their time wisely and prevent them from taking wrong actions and getting burnt out. 

7. Strategic Thinking  

Although social media seems so fun, successful social media marketing requires a solid strategy. Therefore, a specialist must have a natural strategic thinking ability and be willing to learn a lot of new things every day. This way, the social media specialist can create a solid strategy together with the social media manager. 

Social Media Specialist: Job Description

After understanding the key skills needed, here is a common job description for a social media specialist:  

- Conduct competitive research and audience identification. 

- Develop, implement and execute social media strategy.  

- Create editorial calendars.   

- Plan and distribute meaningful content to drive engagement. 

- Work closely with designers and writers to create engaging content.  

- Collaborate with public relations and sales teams to build strong campaigns. 

- Stay abreast of the latest social media algorithms and best practices.   

- Monitor social media performance to help refine future campaigns. 

- Collaborate with industry experts and influencers for specific campaigns. 

Bottom line

Being a social media specialist seems like a fun job. However, this position has a huge responsibility as it plays a vital role in building customer relationships through engagement and engaging content.